


The Golden Anchor

by LitheFider



Category: Guardians of Childhood - William Joyce, Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Agender Sandy, Blacksand - Freeform, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Golden Age, M/M, Massage, Quicksand Week, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 04:54:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040572
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LitheFider/pseuds/LitheFider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[ Blacksand Week 2 – Day 2 - The Golden General and the Star Pilot ]  - Kozmotis has has shut himself off from everyone since his family died during a Dream Pirate raid on his home three years ago.  The only man he's barely let back in is his closest friend, Star Pilot Sanderson Mansnoozie.  But today, he might finally be ready to face the past, and open his heart, as the Star Pilot is invited to his home during shore leave...</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Golden Anchor

**Author's Note:**

> This got 5x longer than expected but I am super pleased with the outcome so I am okay with that. If you like chest wrenching angst, cuddling healing sex, and more romantic couple feels then you can shake a stick at you’re in for a treat. Enjoy <3
> 
>  
> 
> …

Even during a war the soldiers needed some respite with their families.  When things on the front seemed calm enough, the golden armies fleets took their turns for shore leave.

But for Lord Pitch, as the men liked to call him, there was no respite anymore.  He had no one to go home to - not after his wife and young daughter had been lost to a horde of Dream Pirates and Fearlings.  He’d never been the same after their death. 

 

That was 3 years ago. 

 

…

 

The soldiers parted ways at the star port but Sandy lingered behind. 

 

He was one of many Star Pilots that accompanied the fleets to fight the Fearlings.  The shooting star ships of his brotherhood all circled the star port; the ships could never truly dock for if they stood still too long they might become a stationary star.  Sandy had ridden in on the flagship fleet scooner.  He stood now on the bustling dock, people crowding about to get a glimpse of the illustrious crew, especially their general and leader.  Lord Kozmotis Pitchiner, General of the Galaxies.  It was hard to find a soul who didn’t know his name or face.

 

Lord Pitch was a stoic figure, face sharp as a rapier, aura strong as legend. Clad in the white and gold of his military dress jacket he was every bit the shining leader everyone knew and expected him to be.  The short cape off his epaulets was lined in the finest space cloth, to mean it was made of the fabric of space itself and twinkled with stardust like a living night sky.         
  
Sanderson watched as Kozmotis made sure everyone was off safe and accounted for.  When all was settled, he looked down at the Star Captain.  Sandy was hoping he would ask if he wanted to join him for tea, or a bite to eat.  Sandy had grown accustomed to such little outings whenever they had a moment of peace from patrol or battles, that is, before the tragedy.   


Right after he lost his family…Kozmotis didn’t interact with _anyone_.  He’d keep locked in his cabin alone.  He isolated himself and went full force into the war effort with a cold calculated focus.

It had taken a year for Kozmotis to invite Sanderson in once more to his ship’s cabin for tea and cookies, and two years for them to settle back into their chess games and building ship models.  But it wasn’t the same as before.  Koz was kind to him but…distant, broken. 

 

But today at the busy starport, Sandy was greeted with a soft tone the other soldiers only ever saw Sandy receive,

 

“Captain, would you…care to join me for tea at my home?”

 

Sanderson of course agreed, instantly.

 

The general no longer lived at his palace-like home on a moon in the constellation Orion.  There were too many memories associated with it.  It was too painful to see the rooms where his wife and daughter once inhabited.  He instead had a far more humble abode on a moon of the star port’s home planet.  It was easier as well, he was never far from work…the fleet, serving the cosmos, was his whole life now.

Sandy looked over the edge of the star cutter with interest as they sailed through stardust on their way to the small moon.  Solar winds whipped past them, curling Sandy’s already wild hair about.  He turned around to glance at the general, hair momentarily getting in his eyes.  Kozmotis steered the craft with robotic, muscle memory precision.  He seemed both tense and tired, like a man on edge but with little energy to remain that way.  

 

Sanderson smiled hopefully at the general.  Koz managed one in return.  
  
Sandy had not seen the new home yet.  It came into view as they rounded past schools of star fish and towering space forests.  It was obviously for a single person, though it was spacious for such, and had a decent garden surrounding it like a moat of vines and flowers.  The home was spread out in height instead of width, like a little 4 story sand castle tower, each floor being basically one room.  The cutter was docked at the top floor, which had a balcony for such.  Pitch tied the cutter securely and helped his guest out of the boat even though he knew Sandy was completely capable on his own.  Sandy took his hand, lingering his fingers in his touch. 

Sandy followed the General through a pair of stained glass doors, into what seemed to be a parlor / bedroom.  It was quite lovely really.  A hired help of some kind had been through recently as fresh cookies and a hot tea kettle sat out and waiting.  The bed was made, the windows were open to a fresh breeze, and the floor was clean and shining.

Despite the beauty around him, Lord Pitch didn’t seem to really take it in.  He appeared…relieved if anything, to just sit and relax outside the eyes of the responsibility of leadership.  His face was tired, the kind of tired that didn’t come from physical pain.  His shoulders slumped and his whole body relaxed as he flopped onto the couch next to the coffee table.  He threw off his military jacket onto a nearby chair. 

 

He patted the seat next to him inviting his guest to join him.  

Sandy hopped up.  His feet were nowhere near the floor once he sat down.  He had no coat to remove as his clothing was made of dreamsand, but he did let the military adornments to his suit melt away.  He smiled sagely and his expression said a lot even though he did not utter a word.  His face said both ‘I’m happy to be here with you,’ and ‘I’m concerned for you’. 

 

“It’s…nice to have you here.”  Kozmotis said softly.  He was quite a different person right then compared to the general who commanded his troops and made fearlings cower in his shadow.

 

< Thank you for having me. > Sandy spoke back, though for him speaking was always in feelings and thoughts, and not everyone could hear him clearly outside a dream.  Kozmotis was one of the exceptions who could understand him quite well. 

 

Koz poured a cup of tea, the loose leaves of starbud and umbra blossom billowing up in the cup.  Sandy sprinkled some into a teacup for himself, adding apricot-snow and plenty of rock sugar.  Koz stared into his steeping cup as Sandy helped himself to a square, checkerboard patterned brown and vanilla cookie.  He couldn’t help plucking up a few star shaped butter cookies either.  He dunked them into the tea and made short work of each one.  

 

Sandy hesitated, then scooted closer to the general, so that their bodies butted up against each other.  He leaned himself onto him, relaxing into his form.   
  
Koz at first stiffened, as if scared, or tense, but he breathed out moments after and Sandy soon felt a shaky hand encompass his shoulders, pulling him close and settling into the position.  Koz slowly rested his head against the curling, wild gold hair of the star pilot, then withdrew and re-settled his arm back into his own lap so he could hold his cup with both palms.   
  
Sandy did not move, except for to lean into the other’s actions, or say anything of any sort.  He sipped at the teacup in his petit hands, taking in the smell of the fruit and herbs inside.   Over the silence of the chiffon curtains blowing in the breeze and a small wind chime of seashells, the soft sound of heavy swallowing and concealed sobbing came to his ears. 

The Star Captain looked up aghast, face full of concern.  Kozmotis was indeed crying softly.  A desperate, hopeless kind of crying.  Sandy put down his cup and practically half scrambled into his lap as he pet a hand consolingly to his shoulder.

 

Koz wrung his hand over his mouth, licking at his lips and looking pretty much anywhere except the golden worried eyes fixed on his face. “Oh Sanderson…they…3 years ago today…they…”

 

Sandy knew exactly what he was trying to say.  Koz had never talked to him, or anyone to his knowledge, about his family’s death.  It was like it happened to everyone else but him, in the sense that everyone had whispered and discussed about the attack on his home moon - newspapers, the troops, civilians, the constellations, all of them, all except for Kozmotis.

 

It was three years of pent up sadness bubbling out of the general, like he was finally was able to talk about it with someone, finally able to really _accept_ it had occurred.

 

“If only I’d have been there, if only our intelligence had been…if…oh god it’s all my fault, they died they…they died because of _me_ …!”

 

< Koz, it’s a war, the enemy is cruel and ruthless…it’s not your fault. > Sandy said instantly, voice calming as possible.

 

“They’re gone they…they…oh god she was only six, Sandy! S-She was only six years old…!” Koz’s cup just made it to the table, a second longer in his grasp it would have spilled.

 

Sandy’s heart ached, he wished he knew what to say to help, he wished he had a dream that could make it better, but he didn’t.  The man he cared so much for was falling apart before him. 

 

As much as it hurt him to watch though, he knew, Kozmotis needed this.    

 

Koz continued wailing, his words falling into intelligible sobs as he crumpled into the arms of the little star pilot. Even though he was twice Sandy’s size, he seemed small as he curled up on the couch.  Sandy did the only thing he could do, which was to just hold him, stroking his auburn hair and strong shoulders, letting him use his lap for a pillow.  Sandy tried to send every loving thought he had to him. 

 

Sandy held him until Koz wore himself out. 

 

Kozmotis whimpered softly as his sobbing subsided and his breathing stabilized.  The outpouring of emotion was draining but at the same time he felt like a weight was lifted off him.  He trusted Sandy, he…

 

…he loved him. 

 

But he never dared let himself get attached, never that close to someone again.  Not after what happened.  His heart couldn’t take it again, the loss and pain.  He couldn’t!  He’d rather feel nothing at all then that, he told himself.  But as the months, and three years, drifted by, he realized that too was killing his soul.  He couldn’t be that way forever.  He needed closeness, he needed…this.  Exactly what Sandy was giving him.  A gentle touch, someone he could show weakness to, someone he didn’t have to be the Golden General for.              

 

< Koz … > That sweet voice drifted through Koz’s brain, inquiring, comforting.

 

“Thank you Sanderson,” He whispered, voice shaky.  “I’m sorry I…”

 

< Don’t apologize. > Sandy quickly replied.

 

“…”

 

Sandy smiled and continued stroking his hair, which by this point was a little mussed, but Sandy didn’t care one bit.

 

There was a pause then, “I…I’m just so alone...”

 

< …I’m here. >

 

Koz swallowed and settled into Sandy even more heavily.  “No one has touched me like this since…”

 

< Is it okay? >

 

“No, I mean, yes!  Yes you…you’re fine.” Koz’s glanced up, but didn’t turn his head enough in Sandy’s lap to actually make eye contact. 

 

Sandy let out a breath of relief and went right back to comfortingly petting the man in his lap.  Last thing he wanted to do was make things worse somehow by accident.   

 

Kozmotis paused like searching for the right thing to say, “You’ve been such a good friend Sandy.  I…am so thankful to have you.” Pitch’s voice was like velvet even with the hint of shakiness.

 

< I wish I could do more for you. > He said, voice loving like spring rainfall caressing down leaves.   

 

Kozmotis could hear the longing in Sandy’s voice.  Their’s had always been a friendship, a very close friendship as time went on.   While his wife was alive, they had even leaned against each other like this or fallen asleep on the couch together, to wake to find she had put a blanket over them both while they slept.  Koz remembered her talking to him a few times, about his ‘little man’, and that she was glad he had someone there for him when he was away from home so long.

 

Kozmotis and Sanderson never went _farther_ than friends, but the look on his wife’s face, while she never said it outright, meant she would have been okay with _anything_ they cared to do together.

 

Koz let his eyes fall shut and contemplated drifting off to sleep and sleeping away everything.  It would be easy in the arms of a dreamweaver like Sanderson.  But that wasn’t what he wanted.  He wanted to stay here, in the present, in reality.  Too often his dreams were of the past, of his family.  He wanted something _real_.       

 

So he opened his eyes and sat up.  Sandy looked at him, face searching for answers.

 

“I am sorry I shut you out for so long.”

 

< You are in unbelievable pain. I wish you would not isolate yourself, but I also understand it. > Sandy smiled.

 

Koz took a deep breath and let it out, shaking off the rest of the tightness in his chest from his outburst.  Sandy’s very presence was comforting, but his smile was like pure joy.   No he couldn’t reconcile his damaged heart overnight.  But now he felt like the dagger had been removed, and much as he was bleeding, having Sandy there made him feel like he could survive and healing could begin. 

 

He smiled for Sandy, a real smile.  He craned over and their foreheads touched.

 

Sandy put his hands to Koz’s jawline and cheeks.  His breath was so warm against his flesh.  He nuzzled into the taller man.

 

< I love you, > Words whispered through Koz’s mind.

 

Kozmotis echoed Sandy’s grasp with his own hands, fingers threading through golden hair, and gripping into him with a shaky exhale of breath.

 

< I just want you to be happy… >

 

“Sandy, you know how much I love you, without me even saying it, don’t you…”

 

Sandy nodded.

 

“I- I don’t know if I can.  I can’t – I can’t lose someone I’m that close to again.  I’d rather just be numb then feel that again…!”  He withdrew a bit, unsure.

 

Sandy pulled him back, < You can’t live that way, your heart will die. >

 

Koz wavered as his lips ghosted against the Dreamweaver’s.  He didn’t say what he wanted, what he needed, but Sandy could tell.  Sandy’s fiery heart pounded hard in his chest.  Whatever made Koz comfortable and fulfilled his wishes, made him happy too.  If that meant just talking, he would be okay with that.  If that meant cuddling or kissing, he was okay with that too. 

 

And if it meant things even more physical, that too, he was happy to provide.

 

The air hung with energy in its ardent silence.  Night was falling outside the tall windows, stars dotting across the sky.  A stardust lantern was lit, giving a soft light to the room alongside Sandy’s own natural glow. 

Sandy led Kozmotis to his bed and sat him on the side.  He helped him off with the rest of his clothes with a meditative calm.  Neither of them uttered a word.   Sandy stood behind him on the bed and slipped off his shirt.  He placed slow, loving kisses along the top of his back and shoulders, then laid him down to the bed on his chest.  Sandy nestled his own naked form over the general’s upper thighs.  Koz’s strong body cradled him like a saddle.

He brought an oil bottle over with a tendril of sand.  A few drops later and he ran his hands over the general’s back, over every scar and nick from battle that criss-crossed his tan skin.  Koz sighed softly with a shuddering groan, and opened his eyes a slit to look back at the golden pilot as he massaged with a perfect level of firmness and tender stroking.   

 Sandy’s species was not one you could call ‘physical’ in the sense that they were not biological and didn’t have the _same_ sexual urges (or parts) as humans…but it would be an utter lie if you were to say Sandy was not aroused at that moment as he caressed over Koz’s gorgeous frame, and listened to the soft sounds he got in response.  The dormant happiness and need he was reawakening in Koz’s heart was bliss to him; it was as tactile a thing to him as the smell of fresh baked cookies and fine wine.      

Sandy leaned into it, his groin pressing into the curve of Koz’s ass so he could reach his shoulders.  The general arched into him slightly, muscles tensing beautifully in the low light. 

 

This tender intimacy from someone he trusted and loved was food for the heart, and he was a starving man.

 

Sandy continued, and when Koz’s whole back was free of knots, he reversed his position and ghosted fingertips down the backs of his legs, massaging over his calf muscles and thighs.  Kozmotis whimpered softly as the minutes wore on. 

Sandy startled as Koz got up on hands and knees suddenly, taking Sandy with him on his back.  He slowly flopped over and Sandy fell off in the process.  He chuckled silently and Koz smiled.  Sandy waited to the side as Koz flipped onto his back, and resettled like inviting Sandy to continue.  Sandy saw now why he wanted to turn over – he was hard.  It must have been becoming painful. 

 

Sandy bit his lip, looking to Koz to gauge his expression.  Koz looked so contented…it was so nice to see him like that again.  The Dreamweaver nestled in next to the taller man, and began stroking, slow and  loving, from legs, to alongside his groin and auburn pubic hair, then up his chest and down his arms and fingers.  He stroked his inner wrists, and then continued the path of caressing back the way it came.   As minutes wore on, Koz’d breathing went from flared nostrils to parted lips. 

Sandy didn’t flinch when Kozmotis grasped his wrist, and brought it to his lips.  Staring right at the star pilot, he kissed his fingers, breathing him in.  Sandy was drawn in and was soon straddling just in front of his hips.  He could feel Koz’s erection against his ass cheeks. 

Koz shuddered as he pulled Sanderson into a kiss.  It was loving but so full of need, a pent up, desperate need.  Sandy had a sweet taste, though he was sure those cookies he nibbled earlier were only adding to the flavor.

He sat up and took Sandy with him, the kissing continuing, and cradled his arms around his form.  When he pulled back for a pause Sandy’s expression was nothing but loving, burning want. 

 

Koz glanced down, taking note of the total lack of anything between the star pilot’s legs.  He knew his people were not the same as humans, and he was not turned off in the slightest, but he did want to know how to best please the star.  Especially when he was giving him a look like _that_.  

 

Sandy saw that pause and glance, and he smirked.  < Are you okay? > He wanted to make sure at every pass Koz was completely comfortable.

 

Koz nodded quickly, “Yes…and you, _you_ are perfect.”  The other replied immediately, sealing it with a nuzzling kiss to his face.  “Just…tell me how is it stars go…about these things.”

 

Sandy leaned over and placed slow kisses on Koz’s jawline, and spoke these words through his mind,

 

< Your touch, your love, drown me in it. You don’t have to hold back.  I hold no reservations and place no judgments.  To feel your heart soar and your body burn is fuel to my fires.  Your passion is my pleasure. >

 

Koz knew Sandy's kind fed off joy and love but…well he had not really connected in his mind if that would carry over into this kind of thing.  Reassured, Kozmotis decided to try and do as Sandy said, try to let down every guard for him.

 

This, this was now, these were new happy memories.  This wasn’t a dream and it wasn’t something out of his grasp. 

 

Koz mouthed over Sandy’s neck, at first deliberate kissing, methodical…then licking, and sucking....

With each intensification Sandy gripped his hands tighter around Kozmotis and arched his head further back.  Koz’s knees buckled then he fell backward, taking the dreamweaver with him.  He rolled and reversed their positions.  Sandy wiggled happily and groaned approvingly like rolling thunder through Koz’s mind as the general stroked his hands over every inch of Sandy’s cushy, peachy flesh.  He was wild, he was an untamed stallion let loose.  His breath was hot as it flared from his nostrils against Sandy’s stomach as he licked and nibbled down his body.

While Sandy always had a bit of a shimmer to him, the glow seemed to intensify with each passing minute.

Koz moaned into Sandy’s mouth as he suddenly was there again, and rolling them both onto their sides.  It was so _good_. Such absolute freedom, such joy.  He hugged Sandy into him and nuzzled him with his whole body.  Sandy gripped him right back, petting and kissing.  Koz’s erection was trailing between Sandy’s thighs, it just happened to be where it fell in their position.  While he throbbed with arousal he felt no immediate need to have himself touched outright.  Still, it sure didn’t hurt when Sandy clamped himself around Koz’s length.

 

Koz made a flurry of intelligible groans and couldn’t help but buck his hips in their fevered full body petting.  Sandy’s thighs were soft to begin with, but the act was cushioned by the face they had gotten some of the massage oil on them during his earlier actions, when he had switched to sit on the general’s oiled lower back.  

Sandy’s glow intensified as Koz dug his nails into his back, body tensing.  Kozmotis wailed and came hard and hot, like blowing on a burning ember.  In a similar fashion Sandy’s glow flickered during the height of its intensity, then burst, like a strong current blowing a fuse. 

Koz’s breathing was ragged as he collapsed, body curling around the smaller man.   Sandy’s chest heaved although he remained silent as ever to the ear.  His body felt hotter then usual, not so hot as to burn, but the comforting kind of warmth like a blanket fresh from the dryer. 

 

Kozmotis’s mind and body were completely swimming.  He continued catching his breath as the two of them settled down.  Sandy’s eyes were so gold and lovely looking up at him.  He smiled back to show him he was okay, that he was happy.  The golden eyes fell shut and Sandy was asleep quite promptly in his arms.  Kozmotis followed not long after.

 

He didn’t know what the war, or the future, might hold, but he felt like it finally had an anchor to ground him against the storms.  And tonight, he slept more soundly then he had in years.


End file.
